HOW TO RESTORE A VINTAGE LOUIS POULSEN ARTICHOKE LAMP

In the case of some very old Artichoke lamps, the upper leaves tilt downwards due to the gravitational pull. This is how to repair this issue.

1. Take out the leaf

If you want to fix this, you first have to take the leaf out of the lamp. All you have to do is pull the wire out of the leaf.
You can bend the ends open, or, which is often much easier, pinch off with pliers.

2. Do not punch with a hammer

Now, as you have the leaf out, you need to remove the kinks. You shouldn’t drive out the kinks with a hammer! If you hit with a hammer, the material would be stretched and dents would appear.

3. Rub out the kinks

Better you press them out of the actually very soft copper. Put a piece of strong paper between hammer and leaf to avoid scratches. Then rub it over the leaf like you would do with a flat iron.

If this was successful, you can clean the leaf and reinsert it.
I personally would never polish the copper side. The browned copper is a valuable patina that shows the age of the lamp. If you would remove it, I think it would significantly reduce the value. A collector never would buy a lamp cleaned on high gloss!

4. Cut wire

To cut the wire to the right size, first measure the width of the wire tunnel on the leaf. Take the length of the tunnel and add 2x the thickness of the rail (the large Artichoke has 3mm rails), plus 2x 5mm. These 5mm are to be bent the ends to 90°, to fix the wire.

5. Prepare reinstall and finish

First you bend the wire by 5mm 90° on one side and push it at the lamp through the rail, then the tunnel and then again through the rail.
Now you bend the second end over to 90° again.

Description

Mounting Wires for Leafs | Artichoke Lamp | Louis Poulsen

Mounting stainless steel wires for leafs of Artichoke lamp. Each wire is 15cm long (enough for the widest leaf) and need to be cut in size of width of leaf (+1,6 cm).
To cut it in size, measure the width of leaf bushing, and add 1,6cm (3mm for each rail, 5mm for each side-angel). After installing the leaf bent the ends 5mm in 90° angel.

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